You are important
by InsideTheTardisScribbles
Summary: Elyne hurt herself during a playtime and the Doctor now sits in a doctor's waiting room.


**Hey ! Thanks again for your nice comments 😉 I am a bit blocked with chapter 3 so here a one-shot. It's not great but I had fun. Hope you'll like it**!

Elyne was out of breath because of running and laughing. The Doctor was behind breathless.

"Come here !" He called playfully.

The little girl begged him to play with her and he could not resist to her big amber eyes. He tried to catch her for ten minutes through the TARDIS but the child was too fast. He had long legs but his coordination was terrible. But he had to confess he was having fun.

Suddenly Elyne stumbled into a bend and fell. Forgetting his fatigue, the Doctor rushed to her.

"Well? Did the floor want a hug?" He joked helping her to stand up.

"Doctor I hurt." Elyne cried.

"Where?" He asked cupping her face in his hands.

"My knee..." she sobbed. "I can't move."

The Doctor frowned. Usually Elyne stood pain pretty well. He gently pulled the pant's sleeves up and he saw that her right knee was swollen.

"What about we fix this knee?" He said softly wiping away the tears from her cheeks.

Elyne nodded fighting back a sob. While the Doctor scooped her up in his arms, Nardole walked to them.

"What happened?"

"Aah just a little accident." The Doctor winced and looked down at the child. "But we're going to fix this, right dear ?"

"Mmh." She replied and snuggled her face against his shoulder.

"May I make a suggestion ?" Asked Nardole.

"No." Said the Doctor walking to the medical room.

"I think you should bring her to a doctor."

The Doctor froze and glared at his assistant. Like if he heard the most stupid thing he never heard.

"Nardole. From now on you are requested to use your tiny brain. Fondly." He insisted on the last word with a creepy smile.

The cyborg sighed. More annoyed than upset. "Sir, I must insist."

"Why waste our time with incompetents when there's a doctor at home?" retorted the Time Lord.

"It's important that she exceeds her fear of doctors... And that she get used to human contact... Or she will end up like you !"

Outraged, the Doctor raised his eyebrows up.

"Listen up Nardole because I won't repeat it." He paused to breath up. " Mind your own buisness !"

In the end the Doctor was not surprised to be sitting in the waiting room of a pediatrician. Basically he knew that Nardole was right. He was doing what he could to help Elyne to recover from her trauma, but it was not keeping her safe in the TARDIS that she would get better. He watched people around. Most of the mothers were busy on their smartphones while children were playing with the games available. Some were comfortably seated on their mothers' lap as Elyne was on his.

"Does it hurt?" He asked to her.

She shook her head. "No." But her face betrayed her. "Doctor I want to go home."

The Doctor sighed. "I know dear... but it's almost our turn."

" m'kay." The child answered snuggling herself against him.

The Doctor let her do it. Always. Even if showing his tender side in public made him feel uncomfortable. He softly hug her closer to him avoiding any visual contact with others. He noticed the amused look of the mother sitting next to him. When he looked back at her, she looked down and smiled softly.

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "You know ... you don't have to be ashamed." She looked back at the Doctor and stood his stern look. "A loving daddy is important." She finished smiling at him tenderly.

Normally, the Doctor would have felt so embarrassed that he would have answered coldly. But he froze when he heard the word "daddy". He felt his hearts race but quickly gained his usual composure back.

" I am not his father." He corrected. "Only her guardian."

At that moment he felt Elyne tense and grab his jacket tightly.

"Are you okay?" He asked looking for the child's eyes.

"Mmh mh." She nodded.

He frowned not convinced. Before he could open his mouth a young woman called for him.

" Mr. Smith? Let's go."

Without waiting for an answer the pediatrician went back to her office. When the Doctor had put Elyne on the medical table, the young woman began to remove the bandage that supported the girl's knee. Scared, Elyne looked for the Doctor.

" Anxious ?" Asked the pediatrician.

The Doctor ran his hand through Elyne's brown hair. "Very."

He winced when he saw that the knee's state got worse. Her whole knee was purple now. Elyne whimpered when the doctor move the joint, then her face went white. When she bursted into sob the Doctor pulled her close to him.

"You are hurting her !" He roared.

The woman ignored him and bandaged the knee back.

"Rest for a month."

The Doctor blinked. "What?"

" The knee is probably broken." she said. "Strict immobilization for a month and gradual recovery in the next three months."

The Doctor was mad and upset. He knew that and he could fix that up earlier ! _What a waste of time_ he thought. After paying the pediatrician he left quickly. He and Elyne were silent on the road. The girl was probably tired.

"Doctor?" She called.

Her voice was barely audible, stifled by the Doctor's jacket in which she had snuggled.

"Mmh?" Asked the Doctor.

"What's a gua... A guardian ?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "A guardian ?"

She nodded.

"A guardian is a person who is in charge of a child who hasn't parents."

"Oh..." replied Elyne. "So... what's a daddy?"

Then the Doctor had the impression that his mind had stopped working. He opened his mouth to answer but no words came. He looked down at Elyne who was looking at him waiting for his answer. A surge of anxiety made his hearts beat so fast that it was almost painful.

"A daddy... is a man who takes care of his child and who loves him." He finally said. "Why do you-"

He stopped when he saw the girl's tears.

"Because you don't love me." She cried.

The Doctor was shocked.

"Is it what you think ?"

Elyne nodded. "You said daddies love children..." she sniffled. "And ... And you said you are not my daddy." She cried harder.

The Doctor was shaken. He closed his eyes and cursed himself for being so stupid.

"Oh Elyne..."

Elyne closed her teary eyes and lowered her head. The Doctor softly raised her chin with his fingers.

"Look at me."

Despite the softness in his gestures his tone was firm. Elyne hesitated but ended up facing his eyes. She really tried to stop crying. But she couldn't stop her tears or prevent her lower lip from shaking.

"You are important to me." Said the Doctor with his usual coldness.

Elyne stared at him. "R... really?"

The Doctor's eyes softened.

"Do you think I let anybody fall asleep on my lap while watching _Brother Bear_ ?" He smiled. "I am sorry if I hurt you... I didn't mean to."

Elyne said nothing. Instead she leaned closer to him and kissed him softly on the cheek. The Doctor tensed. It had been five months since she had lived with him and it was the first time she kissed him. He smiled. Elyne blushed and looked away embarrassed.

"Well... what about we go home ? To ... I don't know... watch a movie?" He asked.

The child's eyes lighten up. She smiled and snuggled as close as she could against the Doctor.

"I think it's a _yes._ " The Doctor smiled.


End file.
